Modesto City Council approves consent calendar, accepts two Equity Commission resignations and continues billboard hearing to March 11

The Modesto City Council on Feb. 25 voted unanimously to approve its consent calendar, accepted the resignations of two members of the city’s Equity Commission and continued a conditional-use hearing on a proposed digital freeway billboard to March 11, 2025.

The council approved the consent agenda 6-0. The consent calendar included approval of meeting minutes; direction to prepare and file multiple fiscal year engineers’ annual reports for the city’s landscape maintenance assessment districts; acceptance and final payments for multiple capital projects (Empire Yosemite Boulevard water-main crossing; park turf reduction phase 1; Sutter Trunk Rehabilitation phase 2); the monthly investment report for December 2024; grant application and award informational reports; audited financial statements for fiscal year 2023; purchasing agreements for transit motor parts and other procurement and staffing agreements; creation of a fund to track opioid settlement proceeds; and contracts for services ranging from management engagement to alarm services and standard operating procedure development.

A single motion to approve the consent calendar passed on a motion by Vice Mayor Bavaro and a second from Council Member Scudia Brayton. The city clerk recorded the roll call as six ayes; the motion carried 6-0.

Separately, the council adopted a resolution accepting the resignations of Austin Grant and Joelle Campos from the city’s Equity Commission. Council Member Williams moved the resolution; Council Member Wright seconded. The roll call vote was recorded as six ayes and the motion carried 6-0.

Near the end of the meeting the council voted to continue a conditional use permit and operating agreement application filed by OutFront Media to allow a digital freeway billboard on the east side of State Highway 99 south of Evergreen Avenue. Staff requested the continuance to March 11, 2025. The motion to continue was made by Council Member Wright, seconded by Council Member Williams, and carried 6-0.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution accepting resignations of Austin Grant and Joelle Campos from the Equity Commission — Motion: Williams; Second: Wright; Vote: 6-0; Outcome: approved; identifiers: resolution not specified.

- Consent calendar (Items 4–20 as listed on the agenda) — Motion: Vice Mayor Bavaro; Second: Scudia Brayton; Vote: 6-0; Outcome: approved. Notable consent items included: authorization of several engineers’ annual reports for assessment districts; acceptance and final payment authorizations for multiple completed public-works projects (total payments listed on agenda: $1,125,289; $345,092; $5,335,597 for specified projects); approval of purchasing/consulting/temporary staffing agreements with aggregate not-to-exceed amounts as presented on the agenda; creation of an opioid settlement tracking fund; and acceptance of audited financial statements for FY 2023. Where specific contract totals were provided on the agenda, those totals are reported as “not to exceed” amounts by staff.

- Continuance of conditional use permit/operating agreement for OutFront Media digital freeway billboard (2024 West Orangeburg Avenue) to March 11, 2025 — Motion: Wright; Second: Williams; Vote: 6-0; Outcome: continued.

The council did not provide ordinance or resolution numbers on the public record during the meeting for the listed consent items; where the agenda provided contract or payment amounts, the council voted to authorize those items as described on the agenda.

The meeting also included presentations and public comment on separate topics recorded elsewhere in the agenda.